International Observers to meet with Colombian Vice President Santos

international | rights, freedoms and repression | press release

Friday March 19, 2004 19:09

by catriona ruane - bring them home campaign

Bring Them Home Campaign co-ordinator Caitríona Ruane said " The
International Observers who travelled to Colombia to observe the trial of
the three Irishmen currently detained in Colombia will meet with Colombian
Vice President Francisco Santos on Tuesday March 23 at 10.15 a.m. at the
Merrion Hotel in Dublin."

"We will be informing the vice president that Colombia is in breach of
Colombian and International law in relation to the rights of the three men.
It is obvious to everyone who observed the trial that the case against the
men was a total and utter fabrication and that military witnesses perjured
themselves on the stand."

"It is also unacceptable 8 months after the trial is finished that there is
still no verdict and the men are still detained in one of the most dangerous
prisons in the world. The men have now been 2 years and 8 months in jail."

"We are calling on Minister Brian Cowen, to publicly stand up for these
Irish citizens rights, he has been too timid and has failed to protect the
rights of these three Irish citizens. We are also calling on the Foreign
Affairs Committee in Leinster House who will be meeting Vice President
Santos to raise their concerns about the human rights of the three Irishmen,
their lawyers and the thousands of Colombians who have suffered at the hands
of the Colombian Government. The message that Mr. Santos should be leaving
Ireland with is a clear one, send these men home now."

"The Bring Them Home Campaign are organising a peaceful protest outside
Leinster House at 12.30p.m on Tuesday 23, 2004. We would urge people
throughout the island of Ireland who are interested in human rights to come
along and join us on this protest."

For Further Information contact: Caitríona Ruane, on 00 353 86 8311311

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Comments (2 of 2)

Caitríona, don't expect any help from Biffo

by BlackPope

Sat Mar 20, 2004 01:58

it's that fathead pimp's sworn duty to his imperialist masters to flog the collective and individual rights of Irish citizens for less than half a song anytime it might possibly suit their intrigues - which in this case it so patently does.

If you rely on shameless scum such as Biffo, whose ilk has surely played no small part in securing their current predicament, your men will probably not be home for a very long time.

What of the old motto "... with the help of gallant allies, but relying firstly on the strength of her own arms ... etc."

Regards, BP

Latin American Solidarity Centre is holding a picket

by Joe

Mon Mar 22, 2004 12:10

LASC is holding a picket at Leinster House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2
Tuesday, March 23rd, at 12.30 to protest the visit of Vice President of
Colombia, Francisco Santos, who is to address the Joint Oireachtas Committee
on Foreign Policy.

Colombia has the worst record of assassinations at hands of
state and Para military organisations working in collusion. Trade
union leaders are assassinated daily. In 2003, 78 trade unionist were
killed in the streets of Colombia at the hands of paramilitary
groups. Since the foundation of the Colombian Trade Union Federation
"CUT", 3800 trade unionists have died in the same circumstances.

All these crimes remain in total impunity, since the State has
not had the political will to find those responsible, to judge
them and thus mitigate the pain of the victims. The vast majority
of the legal cases has been archived or remain in preliminary
stages, without possibility of showing to the world the truth
about the beneficiaries of these crimes against humanity.
President Uribe wants the EU to set up a "Donor Conference"
in Europe later this year, at which his government would seek
money for his anti-terrorism and "democratic security" policies.

Last summer, at a major international conference organised by
the UK government in London, the Colombian government committed
itself to fulfilling a series of recommendations by the UN Human
Rights Office, as a prior condition to any future Donor's Conference.
But the Colombian government has not attempted to address most of these
conditions, nor, according to the vice-president, do they intend
to. Rather, they have since developed new legislation that, according
to the UN, is incompatible with international human rights laws
to which Colombia is a party.
The government's new "anti-terrorist" legislation gives the
army the authority to conduct investigations, collect evidence,
carry out raids, tap telephones, and make arrests without warrants,
and to recruit a million strong civilian force in support of
Government strategy which relies on military vioence in place
of negotiated settlement.
It is the UN's view that the EU should press the Colombian government
to keep its commitments in London prior to any further donor
conferences.
When Uribe addressed the Parliament in Brussels 2 months ago,
30 MEPs walked out to protest their anger that he had been invited
to speak.
Vice President Santos has attacked human rights defenders accusing
them of being "defenders of terrorism," and "traffickers in human
rights." The human rights community has been subjected to an
orchestrated campaign of harassment.

Join the picket against Santos' visit:
Tuesday March 23rd 12.30 Leinster House.

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International Observers to meet with Colombian Vice President Santos

Comments (2 of 2)